FIGS. 16 and 17 schematically illustrate the partial cross sectional structure of a conventional mobile information terminal having a touch panel that can detect the touch or proximity of an external conductor such as a finger of a user by detecting a change in capacitance or the like and also having a display panel that can display various types of information. The individual components in FIGS. 16 and 17 are hatched to distinguish them on the drawings and not to represent their materials.
As illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17, the conventional mobile information terminal has a window display module 109 formed by bonding a sheet of window glass 101 and a touch panel 103, which are both transparent, together by use of an adhesive 102 and further boding the touch panel 103 and a display panel 105 together by use of an adhesive 104.
When incorporated into the chassis of the mobile information terminal, the window display module 109 is placed so that the window glass 101 is disposed at the outermost position and the display panel 105 is disposed on the inner side of the chassis. In the description that follows, out of two main flat surfaces of the window glass 101, the main flat surface disposed on the inner side of the chassis when the window display module 109 is incorporated into the chassis will be appropriately referred to as the inner main flat surface and the main flat surface that is disposed on the outer side will be appropriately referred to as the outer main flat surface. The size of the window glass 101 in its main flat surface direction is larger than the sizes of the touch panel 103 and display panel 105 in their main flat surface directions. The touch panel 103, display panel 105, and window glass 101 are placed so that the central positions of their main flat surfaces substantially match. Therefore, the outer circumferential part (referred to below as the inner-surface outer circumferential part 101a) of the inner main flat surface of the window glass 101 protrudes outward from the outer circumferential parts of the touch panel 103 and display panel 105.
The chassis of the mobile information terminal is formed with a front chassis 107 and a back cover chassis 122 illustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17; the window display module 109 is incorporated into the front chassis 107 and a circuit board (not shown), a battery (not shown), and the like (not shown) are incorporated into the back cover chassis 122. When the front chassis 107, into which the window display module 109 has been incorporated, and the back cover chassis 122, into which the circuit board and the like have been incorporated, are assembled together, the mobile information terminal in a substantially rectangular plate shape as illustrated in FIG. 18 is formed.
FIG. 18 schematically illustrates the external appearance of the conventional mobile information terminal in a state in which the front chassis 107, into which the window display module 109 has been incorporated, and the back cover chassis 122, into which the circuit board and the like have been incorporated, are assembled together when viewed from the front side of the mobile information terminal. That is, as illustrated in FIG. 18, the outermost circumferential part of the mobile information terminal is the front-side circumferential edge 107b of the front chassis 107 and the window glass 101 is placed inside the front-side circumferential edge 107b. The mobile information terminal is arranged so that a display on the display panel 105 is visible through the window glass 101 and touch panel 103, which are both transparent.
As for the conventional mobile information terminal, the front chassis 107 has an opening on the side on which the window display module 109 is incorporated, as illustrated in FIGS. 16 to 18; a step (referred to below as a window glass mounting part 107a), on which the inner-surface outer circumferential part 101a of the window glass 101 is placed when the window display module 109 has been incorporated, is formed in the opening.
As for the conventional mobile information terminal, the entire circumferences of the window glass mounting part 107a and the inner-surface outer circumferential part 101a of the window glass 101 are bonded together by use of a double-sided adhesive tape 106. That is, as for the conventional mobile information terminal, the window display module 109 is secured to the front chassis 107 by bonding the entire circumferences of the window glass mounting part 107a and the inner-surface outer circumferential part 101a of the window glass 101 together by use of the double-sided adhesive tape 106.
The conventional mobile information terminal also includes a metal plate 121 that supports the window display module 109 from the inside of the front chassis 107, as illustrated in FIG. 17. The metal plate 121 is integrated into the front chassis 107 by, for example, being insert-molded. The metal plate 121 is also secured to the back cover chassis 122 by, for example, use of screws.
In addition, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-238027 (PTL 1) discloses a mobile programmable display unit that can suppress the display panel, circuit board, and touch panel from being damaged due to an impact caused when the mobile information terminal drops or is struck against a structure or to deformation of the case. The mobile programmable display unit includes a liquid crystal panel, a touch panel, a front case, a panel shock absorbing material, a panel holder, and a holder shock absorbing material. The front case has an opening. The panel shock absorbing material is placed so as to enclose the periphery of the liquid crystal panel, the cross section of which has a shape in which the ends of the liquid crystal panel are interposed; the panel shock absorbing material is supported with its front surface and side surfaces abutting the inner surfaces of the panel holder. The panel holder, formed with a bottom frame and side walls, accommodates the liquid crystal panel and the panel shock absorbing material from the rear surface side, the circumference edge of the touch panel being secured to the front of the bottom frame. As for the mobile programmable display unit, the holder shock absorbing material is interposed between the front of the bottom frame and the inner surfaces of the front case.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-239323 (PTL 1) discloses a mobile terminal device that suppresses an increase in the number of parts and can prevent parts from being damaged. The mobile terminal device is formed with a liquid crystal panel, a touch panel, a liquid crystal module, a circuit board, a liquid crystal flexible cable, and two spacers. The liquid crystal panel displays various images. The touch panel, which is attached to the rear surface of the liquid crystal panel, detects a contact on the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal module outputs an image to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel. The circuit board includes a control circuit; the circuit board is used to have the liquid crystal module output an image and to carry out an appropriate process according to the position of the contact on the touch panel. The liquid crystal flexible cable is a flexible cable made of a flexible material; it mutually connects the control circuit on the circuit board and the liquid crystal module. One of the two spacers is formed with an insulating body; it is inserted into the clearance between the circuit board and the liquid crystal flexible cable. The other spacer is stuck to a movable case at a position at which the liquid crystal flexible cable is interposed between the one spacer and the other spacer. As for this mobile terminal device, the rear surface of the liquid crystal panel is stuck to the movable case in the vicinity of the outer circumference of the liquid crystal panel.